I Tried And Ranked 7 Nuts From Costco

As a professional food writer and recipe developer, I frequently test and create recipes using nuts. They can be quite pricey in the grocery store, especially since they tend to be packaged in small quantities. For years, I have been stocking up on the incredible nut options at Costco and keeping them on hand for projects. The quality is high, and the price per ounce is as low as I have ever found. Plus, the warehouse stocks a ton of options for a wide variety of uses.  

Truth be told, you can't go wrong with any of the nuts at Costco — they are all fantastic. Yet, naturally, some are better deals than others. That's why I set out to test them with a fresh palate to find out which ones reigned supreme, basing my ranking on quality, visual appeal, and overall value. Costco's large packaging comes in handy because not only are these nuts are great for culinary uses like upgrading your brownie game, but they are also fantastic for snacking. Simply roasting them with a bit of seasoning is all you need to do, and you can keep any leftovers in the fridge to maintain freshness as long as possible, ensuring that your wise investment in Costco nuts goes even further. But which Costco nuts provide the most bang for your buck? Without further ado, let's get cracking.

Someone had to come in last, and in this case, it's the Kirkland Signature Whole Almonds. The almonds are sold in a 3-pound bag, which contains about 9 cups of almonds, for $12.99. This comes out to about 27 cents per ounce.

These are classified as "U.S. No. 1 Supreme" on the package. This means that no more than 5% of the almonds in the bag are dissimilar, and no more than 15% are doubles (almonds that developed from two kernels in one shell, leaving one side of the double kernel flat or concave). In addition, no more than 10% have been dented or scratched in the processing, and less than 5% have any sort of other defects. There is also a very tight threshold for any shell hulls, particles, or dust.  In layman's terms, these are some of the highest rated almonds you can buy in terms of quality. They have also been steam pasteurized to remove any microorganisms without the use of chemicals.

The almonds had exactly the crunch I was looking for, while still maintaining a slight al dente softness to each nut. My only complaint about these nuts was that they still have the skin on. This is fine for snacking, but in certain recipes I prefer a skinless blanched almond. This isn't a total dealbreaker since there is an easy trick to remove the skin at home, but even that isn't enough to pull these out of seventh. 

The Kirkland Signature Walnuts bag is, in a word, large. For $13.69 you get 3 pounds or about 12 cups of walnuts, which comes to about 29 cents per ounce. These nuts are classified as U.S. No. 1, which is the top grading for walnuts by the United States Department of Agriculture. The packaging also declares that the contents are 20% walnut halves and 80% walnut pieces.

I like the fact that a solid amount of the nuts in the bag are lovely walnut halves. That means anytime a walnut is showcased front and center in a recipe, you don't have to hunt around too long for attractive ones. For example, a crispy walnut sweet and sour stir-fry benefits form using the most beautiful walnut halves for presentation. It is also convenient that with the pieces I can chop them to a desired level of coarse or fine texture as needed, like in a three-ingredient Italian walnut cake. 

The walnuts were fresh and aromatic the moment I opened the bag. The flavor was spot on and the texture was delicate and chewy. Ultimately, I love having a bag of walnuts on hand so I can sprinkle a handful over my Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey in the morning. The only reason these didn't rank higher was because there were other Costco nut options that were a little more obscure and a better overall value for the price. 

The fact that cashews are next up in this ranking is a little bit deceiving, because, in fact, cashews aren't nuts at all. They are actually a seed derived from a drupe. That being said, I just can't get enough of them. Cashews are incredibly versatile and even can be transformed into creative vegan swaps, like in a vegan cashew queso. 

This 2½-pound bag is filled with large-sized whole cashews that are unsalted, for the bargain price of $15.99. (Costco also sells a salted version as well if that suits your palate and usage needs better.) It is important to note that these cashews have been roasted in peanut oil, so anyone with an allergy should keep a close eye on the ingredient list here. 

This product has become a new favorite of mine at Costco. So often cashews are broken or skimpy in size but these are plump and gorgeous. The roasting draws out the flavor and imparts a delicate golden color to the cashews. So often unsalted cashews can be bland and almost chalky, but these were perfectly prepped and ready to enjoy for any usage. The Costco cashews ranked right here in the middle because they are so useful, but I found a few other nut options to be a little more flavorful.  

At $7.79 for a 2½-pound container, these Kirkland Signature Super Extra-Large Peanuts are a bargain. Kirkland isn't kidding with the words "super extra-large," either — these nuts are substantial and stunning. They are Virginia variety peanuts that have been roasted and salted to give them the perfect crunch. They have been prepared using an old-fashioned process called blister roasting where the peanuts are soaked in water and then roasted in oil. This is what causes that signature blistered appearance and provides the ideal peanut texture and mouthfeel. 

I am so glad these peanuts come in the convenient resealable tub, because they are so delicious I like to sneak into the pantry, open the lid, and grab a handful anytime a craving hits. Since peanuts are so high in protein, they are a great snack. These are salted, but quite lightly, so they can certainly be used in culinary applications as well. I can't wait to make a batch of chocolate caramel peanut bars where the size of these nuts can really shine. While they are absolutely delicious, the Kirkland Signature peanuts ranked fourth because there are a lot of peanut brands on the market, so it isn't a rarity to find them on store shelves. 

Without fail, every year I pick up a bag of the Kirkland Signature Pecans at the beginning of the holiday season. It ranked in the number three slot on this list not because they are unique but because this is just so useful to have on hand. This 2-pound bag can take me from pecan pies at Thanksgiving, all the way to making homemade English toffee at Christmas. There are about 8 cups in the bag, so there's enough to prepare all your favorite recipes, all for the incredible price of $14.99. The price is even more impressive given that these pecans are graded as U.S. No. 1 Fancy. This means they are uniform in color and size, free from damage, and have been well dried so they don't have a moisture content over 4.5%. 

Besides the fact that these pecan halves are visually stunning, the flavor impresses as well. They tasted fresh straight out of the bag, and I also liked the texture. I tested a few to see how easily they cut into coarsely chopped and finely chopped pieces. They exhibited just the right amount of tenderness and the knife moved effortlessly. Some people might find manual nut grinders old fashioned, but I love mine, so I gave it a few cranks using the Costco pecans. They processed easily and now I have the perfect nuts for a streusel topping to use on banana bread. 

When it comes to pistachios, there are a few decisions to be made before selecting what will end up in your cart. Costco offers shelled and unshelled pistachios, both salted and unsalted. My favorite is this 1½ pound bag of Kirkland Signature Shelled Pistachios that have been roasted and salted for $17.99. At first that might seem a bit pricey, especially since you can purchase a 3-pound bag of unshelled pistachios for $15.89. However, when you factor in the effort it takes to pry open every single one of those nuts, that extra $2.10 seems like money well spent, and that's exactly why I ranked this product in the No. 2 slot. Who wants raw fingers from shelling a bunch of pistachios for a recipe? At least they are a natural color nowadays, and the shells aren't dyed red like they used to be! 

I love that these nuts are ready to use right out of the bag anytime. Pistachios are a huge flavor trend right now, fueled by the viral Dubai chocolate craze that has taken over social media and candy shops the world over. Be ready to make the most trendsetting recipes by keeping a bag on hand. You can feel confident knowing these nuts have released their full flavor potential from being roasted, and they are salted just enough to enhance the flavor just a little bit more.

My top choice for the best nuts from Costco is the Kirkland Signature Macadamia Nuts, which are dry roasted and seasoned with sea salt. The 1½-pound bag sells for a steal at $17.99. As a point of comparison, I can pick up a 6-ounce jar of macadamia nuts for $12.99 at the standard grocery store not far from my Costco. I understand that macadamia nuts are a premium ingredient that tends to be more expensive, and the price per ounce at Costco just can't be beat. 

Next, I took a close look at the size and shape of the Costco macadamias. The nuts are large and uniform in size with fewer broken pieces than I have seen from other brands. Upon taking a bite, I was sold. Even with the higher fat content of macadamia nuts, these had a hearty crunch and the rich flavor I had come to know and love. I can't wait to use some of these in this fudgy macadamia and peanut butter brownies recipe. When you consider the immense value and overall quality, this was an easy choice for the top spot.

For the purposes of this ranking, I intentionally looked for the plain versions of each nut option. I didn't want to choose anything that was already overly seasoned because that would start to limit versatility in usage. I also didn't want to select any nuts that had already been incorporated into a mixed nut blend or transformed into a specific snack item. I was looking for raw ingredients to judge the nuts in their purest form.

Each nut purchase was then taste tested and ranked according to several metrics. Was the nut a quality representation? Was the flavor fresh and as expected? Were the pieces in the bag whole and visually appealing or were there a lot of broken ones? Finally, was the price per ounce a good value for this particular nut, and how did it compare to prices of the same nut sold elsewhere?

It was a fascinating experience to take closer look and deep dive into these products I have tossed into my cart so many times before. It was important for me not to be swayed by my personal preferences and keep the focus on the quality and flavor of each nut variety.